Author: Herman, Amy E.
Call Number: 152.14 H551V 2016
Book Description from amazon.com:
How could looking at Monet’s water lily paintings help save a company millions? How can noticing people’s footwear foil a terrorist attack? How can your choice of adjective win an argument, calm your children, or catch a thief?
In her celebrated seminar, The Art of Perception, art historian Amy Herman has trained experts from many fields to perceive and communicate better. By showing people how to look closely at images, she helps them hone their “visual intelligence,” a set of skills we all possess but few of us know how to use effectively. She has spent more than a decade teaching doctors to observe patients instead of their charts, helping police officers separate facts from opinions when investigating a crime, and training professionals from the FBI, the State Department, Fortune 500 companies, and the military to recognize the most pertinent and useful information. Her lessons highlight far more than the physical objects you may be missing; they teach you how to recognize the talents, opportunities, and dangers that surround you every day.
My Read:
"Remember in your quest for the big picture not to lose sight of the small details.
Don't be afraid of complexity, and don't rush to judgment. Step back and take things apart one layer at a time the way you would a complicated work of art. Start at ground zero. Prioritize by importance. Make sure you've considered all of the data possible. Did you miss a mahogany table?
Always ask questions, especially of yourself. No matter how "obvious" it seems to you, state what you see, because it's possible that no one else will see it. Don't forget the basics; say that one scene is a photo and one is a painting. to crystallize your communication, assume that the person you are communicating with can't see what you're seeing at all. Ask yourself, "Was I as clear as possible? did I ask the right questions to elicit the answers I need?"
Make sure you are only dealing in objective facts. Describe what you see without letting your emotions and assumptions block your perception. Don't divorce yourself from your experience, but be conscious of it and how it might affect you so it doesn't lead you toward faulty assumptions."--page 277
The author advises to ask 1)what do I know?, 2) what don't I know?, and 3) what do I need to know?
Also to find answers of who, what, where, and when.
It's a good read.
